There are abundant selections for the Feast of All Souls, and depending on the Mass you attend you may hear any one of the following:
Old Testament
Wisdom 3:1-9 “The souls of the just are in the hands of God…”
Wisdom 4:7-15 “The just man, though he die early, shall be at rest.”
Isaiah 25:6-9 “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide…”
Responsorial Psalm
23 “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.”
25 “To you, O Lord, I lift my soul”
27 “The Lord is my light and my salvation”
New Testament
Romans 5:5-11 “Hope does not disappoint…”
Romans 5:17-21 “Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more…”
Romans 6:3-9 “As Christ was raised…we too might live…”
Romans 8:14-23 “Those led by the Spirit of God and sons of God…”
Romans 8:31b-35,37-39 “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Romans 14:7-9,10c-12 “If we live, we live for the Lord…”
1st Corinthians 15:20-28 “Christ has been raised from the dead…”
1st Corinthians 15:51-57 “Behold, I tell you a mystery…”
2nd Corinthians 4:14-5:1 “We have a building from God…”
2nd Corinthians 5:1,6-10 “We are courageous…”
Philippians 3:20-21 “Our citizenship is in heaven…”
1st Thessalonians 4:13-18 “We believe that Jesus died and rose…’
2nd Timothy 2:8-13 “If we have died with him, we shall live with him…”
Gospel
Matthew 5:1-12a “Blessed are the poor in spirit…”
Matthew 11:25-30 “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened…”
Matthew 25:31-46 “As a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.”
Luke 7:11-17 “Young man, I tell you, arise!”
Luke 23:44ff; 24:1-6a “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”
Luke 24:13-16,28-35 “The Lord has truly been raised…!”
John 5:24-29 “Whoever hears my word and believes…has eternal life.”
John 6:37-40 “I shall raise him up on the last day.”
John 6:51-59 “I am the living bread that came down from heaven.”
John 11:17-27 “I am the resurrection and the life…”
John 11:32-45 “Lazarus, come out!”
John 14:1-6 “I am the way, and the truth and the life…”
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
In this fifth of a six-part Lenten series, Carry Your Cross, Fr. Andrew continues to a discussion of Matthew 16:13-28, showing how we “lose our lives” out of love for Christ as we confront death and embrace God’s gift of life.
Jesus points out that just as we pay attention to the changes in nature, we can also observe the changes in our hearts in order to be ready for the moment when our life on earth will end.
Jesus recounts the end times to his disciples, reminding them that no one will know the hour. Our task? We live each day as a precious gift, holding fast to the Word of God and the sacrifice that Christ offered for our sins.
On this day we pray for all our beloved dead, and keeping in mind the somber thought of mortality, we reflect on our lives and make whatever adjustments are necessary for the day the Lord calls us out of this world.
Eternal rest, grant unto them O, Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Three Great Things 